


Darling

by Perpetuality



Category: Original Work
Genre: Birthday, Gen, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Not Beta Read, technically the ofc is my friend's but all three ocs are linked together so i had to include her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 21:17:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19326274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perpetuality/pseuds/Perpetuality
Summary: On yet another day of his job, Cain receives a phone call.





	Darling

**Author's Note:**

> birthday fic for cain bc i idea hop way too much for my own good and have 5035878325 wips that i will never finish. Also a first attempt writing completely in present tense (which was interesting and kinda fun, surprisingly)
> 
> you can learn more about my ocs [here](https://takemus.carrd.co/#oc)! however, you don't need knowledge of them to be able to read this fic
> 
> rei belongs to my friend, shelly

Cain raises his eyes from his tablet and leans back in the metallic chair he is seated in, placing his tablet pen down beside the device. Releasing a long-drawn exhale, he drapes his arms over its top rail and crosses his right leg, resting its ankle over his left knee. His outfit is surprisingly casual with his tie loosened, the topmost buttons of his button down undone, and his sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows. His blazer is carefully draped over the back of his seat, neatly folded in half vertically. It’s rare for him to shed his outermost layer, but the summer heat is strong; he can still feel the beginnings of sweat coalescing on his skin and sticking stubbornly to the fabric of his button-down..

His chair, overlooking the Alamo located in the middle of Astor Place, is scratched in multiple areas from continued use and is in no way reflective of the pristine white it used to be. The small table it is paired with has seen better days, its surface equally as dinged up and stained with things he’d rather not think about. Still, despite the way the chair creaks occasionally under his weight, and the fact that the table wobbles if he places too much weight on one elbow, both pieces of furniture have served their purpose well enough for him to have stayed there.

He lazily gazes around his surroundings, the crisscrossing streets starting to pick up with activity as both adults and students alike hurry towards their intended destination, and tilts his head from side to side, working out the kinks that developed from his prolonged focus on his tablet screen. He accidentally makes eye contact with a passerby behind his sunglasses and immediately looks away out of respect for the other, gazing southeast towards East 8th Street. Judging by the way the sun is bearing down from there, he figures that it is around 8 o’clock in the morning. He’s lost track of the amount of time he spent seated in the plaza near the 6 train subway entrance.

It may be time to pick up his things and leave. The spreadsheet his tablet is open to is still being updated, already with four new additions since from when he last looked at it. The longer he stays there, the more the numbers will rise. He will fall behind again if he takes too long with each person on the list, especially since he decided to be in charge of the souls in New York City today.

He releases another sigh and prepares to uncross his legs, gather his things, and leave, when he feels his pants pocket vibrate. Fishing out the source of the noise, he gives the smartphone screen a cursory glance and catches sight of his contact name for his significant other displayed across the screen. He picks up the call, raising his phone to his ear.

“ _Good morning_ , _darling,_ ” the reaper answers, slipping to his mother tongue. He could feel a few eyes on him, his use of German likely drawing their attention, and steadfastly keeps his gaze glued to the cube which is being spun by a pair of what he assumes to be tourists. It’s nice to be able to be visible to the other mortals when he’s not in the middle of his job (he technically _is_ working right now; he’s just not doing the dirty part yet), but he would admit that it still feels a bit odd to be under the attention of others so suddenly. It’s only now that he realizes just how comforting it can be to choose when to be seen or not.

The speaker on the other end pauses, and Cain bites back the urge to smirk. He may not be there with his partner in person right now, but he knows that if he is there in front of him right now, Alex is likely flushing a satisfying shade of red.

"' _Morning?_ ’” The other finally echoes, his tone curious and belying his embarrassment, “ _What time is it for you right now?_ ”

Cain raises his left wrist, golden hues flickering to the watch settled there. “ _8:32_ ,” he replies, leaning forward in his chair and propping his elbow on the table. He ignores the way the table shifted with his weight, as well as the way the spreadsheet on his tablet updated yet again with another handful of people.

“ _A six-hour time difference. I take it that you are in the eastern part of the States?_ ”

“ _Sharp as always,_ ” the reaper smiles. He reaches out to stop his pen from rolling off the surface altogether and picks it up, idly spinning it between his fingers to occupy himself. “ _I’m in New York right now._ ”

“ _Likely not for tourist reasons, I assume_ ,” Alex dryly notes.

“ _Unfortunately, no._ ” Cain stops the pen spinning when he notices his tablet notifications light up to indicate the receival of a message. He pulls up the corresponding application and reads the received message.

[txt] rei of sunshine: get me something? :3c

He grins at her words and quickly responds, hastily writing out the words with his pen.

[txt] me: we’ll see

“ _Have you eaten lunch yet?_ ”  he verbally questions, tapping the ‘send’ button. With the message delivered, Cain switches back to the spreadsheet and nearly groans. The number of new names added to it has already reached the double digits, and are still steadily increasing. Growing sick of seeing its constant updates, he locks his tablet and slides his pen back into its holder attached to the leather case.

Alex hums. “ _I have_ ,” he affirms; “ _you needn’t worry about that._ ”

“ _Your schedule is often so busy_ ,” Cain points out, leaning back in his chair again. “ _I am allowed to be concerned._ ”

“ _No less busy than yours. But_ _I take care to watch over my own health,_ ” the ice phoenix reassures, “ _but I appreciate your concern, Cain_.”

A pause falls over the conversation again, but it is not at all awkward. It’s a familiar sort of silence that the two have long grown familiar with, having experienced it many times when they are together (including when they are with their missing third friend). However, Cain senses as though there is an unsaid statement lingering on the tip of his beloved's tongue, and he decides to act on his instincts.

“ _Is there something you’d like to tell me?_ ” he delicately asks. The reaper is more than happy to speak with Alex, but he knows that the other is not the type to call without reason.

The atmosphere turns slightly uncomfortable, and Cain wonders if perhaps he should hurriedly add that the other need not speak if he does not wish to. Before he is able to vocalize an utterance, Alex responds.

“ _Will you be coming home tonight?_ ”

The question catches the man off-guard, Cain not having expected it. He regains his composure and sighs, his expression falling. “ _Alex_ ,” he regretfully begins, “ _you know how my job is. I most likely can’t._ ”

The line falls silent and he fights the urge to wince. It makes him no less happy to have to respond in such a way to the other, particularly when the reaper shares the same sentiments.

“ _Right_ ,” Alex finally responds, his voice tinged with disappointment he is unable to fully stifle. Cain outwardly winces this time. “ _I expected as much._ ”

The black-haired man sighs again, straightening in his seat. “ _I’m sorry, Alex. I would give anything to be there right now, but I have to meet my quota. I can only go so far with relying on my reaperlings to pick up where I slack._ ”

“ _No, I understand. I do not fault you for that._ ” Despite Alex’s earnest reply, Cain can still pick up on the other’s bitterness, which he knows from having been with the other for over 400 years that it is not directed towards him. “ _It is just..._ ”

“‘ _Just?’_ ” he repeats, attempting to encourage the other to continue.

He hears the other shifting on the other line, the noise likely from the other immortal shaking his head. “ _No matter. Never mind that,_ ” Alex dismisses.

“ _You’re more than free to continue,_ ” Cain offers. “ _Don’t hold yourself back out of social politeness when you know I also disdain this job._ ”

“ _No, it’s fine. It’s unimportant._ ” He doubts the truth behind those words, but chooses not to press the other, knowing that Alex will just deflect it if he tries. “ _I should let you resume your work. My break is ending shortly as well._ ”

He turns in his seat and rubs the nape of his neck in distinct discomfort, bothered by the fact that there is so much left unsaid. “ _Alright,_ ” he reluctantly accedes, enunciating his words slowly as if to give his significant other ample opportunity to change his mind. When it is clear that Alex won’t, Cain shakes his head in disappointment and decides to put forward one last statement before the call ends, shifting gears.

“ _Love you._ ”

“ _And I, you._ ” A brief pause. Then, quietly: “ _I miss you._ ”

“ _I know._ ” How painfully aware of that Cain is, especially when he shares the same sentiments. “ _We’ll see each other soon._ ”

“ _I don’t doubt that._ ” ‘Soon’ means little to those who live for a long time, and the two of them are more than aware that neither of them will accept being separated for longer than a few years when they had already been split for a few centuries. “ _Take care._ ”

“ _You too._ ”

Cain lowers his phone from his ear, hearing the tell-tale boops indicating that the other line hung up, and resists the urge to plant his head face down on his tablet and the disgusting table he was using. He owes Rei a great deal for her intervention from way back then, but he still hates this one drawback to this job. He may be immortal now, but what does that mean when he is still too busy most of the time to be together with the one he loves?

“Ugh,” he opts to complain, instead shoving his phone back into his pocket. He’s about to stand up and head off when he decides to check his tablet again for any updates. Pressing the home button, he prepares to input the passcode and unlock the device when he finally notices the date underneath the current time.

June 21st. _Ah_.

Suddenly, he understands Alex’s reason for calling. With their long lifespans, immortals do not often care about their birthdays; their age and year of birth are among one of the first things to be forgotten, if known at all. Still, it is not unusual for some of them to celebrate their and each other’s birthdays if they care about it enough. The ice phoenix is one of them, having been hoping that Cain will return home so that the trio of friends could celebrate his birthday.

The reaper eyes the lock screen thoughtfully, weighing his current two options in his head. While it is true that he still does have his quota to meet, he knows how much this day means to Alex (even if it no longer means all _too_ much to himself). He could either proceed to work like initially planned, or he could put the brunt of his duties back on his reaperlings (again) and return home instead, despite having already told his fiancé he couldn’t make it.

It is clear which one sounds the most appealing. But Cain knows that he can’t continue to ditch his job as often as he already does.

Why not do both, then?

He begins to smile at the sudden idea, the reaper continuing to turn that thought in his mind. How had he not thought of that sooner? It’s the perfect compromise that will allow him to do some work and still do what he wants to do. He can spend some time getting to the souls he needs to here, then head back when it’s almost time. Time zones do little to impede him, considering his ability to travel wherever he wants around the world whenever he needs to.

Satisfied with the plan, Cain finally rises to his feet, simultaneously grabbing his blazer and tablet. Draping the jacket over his free arm, he props his tablet over it and unlocks it, quickly reading the information listed on the first row of his spreadsheet. Brooklyn, age 61, passed away through natural means. He can certainly fly or teleport his way there, but considering that he is out in the streets in open sight, it poses too much of a danger.

He begins to head towards the subway station instead, descending the steps rapidly. He fishes out his Metrocard (just for appearance’s sake) and swipes his way through the turnstile, entering the interior of the station. The moment he blends in with the crowd, he reactivates one of his powers as a reaper, switching it so that he is no longer visible to the gazes of (most) mortals, and melts into the darkness of the dirty tunnels.

' _My_ _beloved reaperlings stationed in Germany,_ ’ he mentally calls out, spreading his message across the specific branch of his network of helpers as he continues to make his way to his first destination. ‘ _Would any of you be willing to switch shifts with me tonight?’_

* * *

 Cain alights onto a familiar rooftop, his casual dress shoes barely making a sound as they contact the concrete floor. The sun is beginning to set over the skyline of Berlin, painting the dusky sky cool shades of blue, pink, and purple. Since it is the summer solstice, he knows that there are another two hours until the sun sets entirely.

Although the temperature in Berlin is comfortable, it is considerably cooler than when he was still in New York, and he drapes his blazer over his shoulders in preparation to slip back inside. Before he can even begin to put it back on though, the shades of the apartment patio door are drawn back, revealing the questioning and slightly exasperated figure of his fiancé. He watches Alex freeze mid-motion, silver eyes widening in surprise, and immediately unlocks the patio door, throwing it open.

“Cain!” He exclaims in disbelief, stepping over the threshold. He moves to approach Cain and the reaper meets him halfway, the two entering an embrace. Alex shuts his eyes and rests his ear over the other’s chest despite knowing that the tell-tale heartbeat there had already stopped long ago, while the sunglasses-clad man gently places a kiss on the other’s forehead, threading his fingers down the other’s hair and beginning to gently undo the low ponytail the ice phoenix tied his hair in.

“Surprise?” Cain lazily grins, finally able to untie the ribbon keeping the other’s hair up.

Alex raises his head to deadpan. “Shouldn’t I be the one to tell you that?” he points out; “it’s _your_ birthday. Speaking of which-” He shifts back slightly, not enough to break out of their embrace, to give the other a pointed stare. “I distinctly recall you implying that you were unable to come home today.”

The reaper’s grin turns smug. “I swapped locations with one of my reaperlings,” he explains. “I couldn’t continue doing my job knowing how disappointment I left you after our phone call a few hours back.”

The model openly stares, clearly at a loss for words when he scoffs, shaking his head. “You--” he starts before he sighs. “Now I feel bad for causing a conflict of interest.”

“I know you were going to react like that.” Cain raises a hand and gently sweeps Alex’s bangs back, tucking it behind the other’s ear. “I’m heading back to work tomorrow, but I’ll carry out my duties locally. That way, we can see each other a little more, and I’ll be able to do my job.”

That answer seems to calm Alex down, and he physically relaxes. “As long as you do not receive trouble for your actions,” he decides, finding that he can accept this new development.

The two continue to gaze at each other when a sudden realization dawns upon the ice phoenix, and he bites his lip. “ _Shit_ ,” he curses, “I never had a chance to prepare a cake after I returned home from work since I accepted that you would not be returning home today.”

“I already have that covered.”

Two pairs of eyes flicker back towards the patio door where a third figure now stands. Rei meets both gazes with a bemused one of her own, knowing eyes watching the pair on the rooftop. Making eye-contact with the reaper, she nods her head in greeting, her purple and pink locks of hair bobbing with the movement. Cain returns the gesture with a greeting of his own, raising his hand before he drops it back to his side.

“Cain told me earlier that he had a change of plans,” she plaintively explains, holding up her cellphone to reveal the conversation between herself and the reaper, which had continued even during his job. Precariously balanced atop her other hand is a small vegan vanilla cake with three lit candles settled evenly on top. “I just kept it to myself. Your reaction just now was much more amusing.”

“Happy to hear that you once again find entertainment in my plight,” Alex dryly remarks, prompting a chuckle to escape Cain’s lips. The ice phoenix turns to give the other a warm smile before he wriggles out of the other’s embrace, the reaper only letting him because of Rei’s approach.

With her cellphone having been put away, she is now holding the cake in both hands. Stopping before the most recent arrival, she presents the dessert to him, observing him with a genuine smile. “Should we sing the song?”

“Absolutely not,” Alex immediately cuts in before Cain could even consider _thinking_ about obliging, much less agreeing to it. He grimaces at the idea, and the other two members of the trio burst into laughter, much to his dismay. “If we’re talking about mortal traditions with birthdays, perhaps you should make your wish and blow the candles out before the wax melts even further,” he huffs, redirecting the conversation away from him.

The reaper considers what he would like to wish for, raising his fingers to his face and removing his sunglasses, much to his two closest friends’ delight--a rarity, even with them. There certainly are many things he would like to come true: having a lesser workload, maybe not even having to do his job anymore (that’s not going to happen; he knows he’ll lose the other ‘perks’ that comes with having to be the new death), being allowed more time to simply enjoy the still-evolving world and partake in the smallest of things. But above all, he knows what he wants.

He leans forward to blow out the three candles, wishing with all his heart that the trio will be able to continue to spend time together much like this. Yes, this is what he wants the most. He can certainly continue to desire all of the others, but it will mean nothing if he does not have the company of his significant other and his best friend/sister figure along with it all.

Cain straightens up with a self-satisfied smile, meeting the gazes of his two friends.

“Happy birthday, Cain,” they both wish.

With his sunglasses having been put away, there is nothing there to hide away the love and happiness shining warmly in his golden hues. “Thank you,” he sincerely responds, eyes crinkling upward with his gentle smile.

The three of them continue to spend their time out on the rooftop balcony, talking about the stars they are unable to see with the city’s light pollution, reminiscing about past times and theorizing about the future, and last, but not least, eating the cake purchased for the birthday of their beloved reaper.

**Author's Note:**

> This is two days late. I am so sorry cain
> 
> thanks for reading!
> 
> you may find me on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/takemus_)


End file.
